1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation device and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an image formation device with peripheral circuits simplified by connecting peripheral devices with an I2C bus sharing and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a printer is the most common image printing device which outputs, in visible form, information processed in external devices, such as computers or scanners.
In general, image formation devices such as facsimile, printer, photocopier, (and combination machines incorporating these devices and functions into one device) are all products manufactured in common to have a printing function.
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a connecting structure of a conventional image formation device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the image formation device 100 has a operation panel unit 110, a power supply 120, a high voltage power supply (HVPS) 130, a printing engine unit 140, a motor driving unit 150, plural detection sensors S1 to Sn, and a main controller 160.
The operation panel unit 110 is provided with a key input part (not shown) having a plurality of function keys enabling users to set or select functions supported by the image formation device 100. Further, the operation panel unit 110 has a display part (not shown) displaying operation states of the image formation device 100 according to the settings of the controls of the main controller 170.
The power supply 120 generates electric power to drive the operation panel unit 110, the HVPS 130, the print engine unit 140, the motor driving unit 150, the plural detection sensors S1 to Sn, and the main controller 160.
The HVPS 130 supplies a charging voltage, a developing voltage, and a transfer voltage to a charging roller, a developing roller, and a transfer roller, respectively, which are the components of the print engine unit 140.
The print engine unit 140 is controlled by the main controller 160, and has numerous mechanical parts, such as a charging part for charging the photosensitive drum to a predetermined voltage, a laser scanning unit for scanning the photosensitive drum with light, a developing part for supplying toner onto a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by the laser scanning unit and forming a toner image, a transfer part for transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum onto a recording sheet of paper, and a fusing part for fixing the transferred image on the recording sheet by the transfer part.
The motor driving unit 150 controls the driving of various motors for driving the print engine unit 140 according to the controls of the main controller 160.
The main controller 160 controls the overall operations of the image formation device 100 according to a control program stored in a memory part (not shown). Further, the main controller 160 is provided with an EEPROM 162 for storing initial conditions, control setting values, or the like, of the image formation device 100.
Further, the image formation device 100 is provided with a plurality of detection sensors, S1 to Sn, for detecting the operation states of the image formation device 100. For example, the plural detection sensors S1 to Sn include diverse sensors for detecting the operation states of the print engine unit 140. These can include a jam sensor for detecting paper jams, a paper position sensor for detecting whether paper arrives at a predetermined reference position, a cover opening sensor for detecting the opening of a cover, a temperature sensor for detecting a fusing temperature, and so on.
Such detection sensors S1 to Sn are separately harness-connected to the main controller 160, to transmit their detection result signals to the main controller 160. In addition, even the operation panel unit 110, solenoids, or various switching elements are harness-connected to communicate data with the main controller 160.
The components communicating data with the main controller 160 are connected through a 2- or 3-wire harness to the main controller 160 for data communications. However, there exists a problem in that the length of the harness becomes longer as the sensors or the switching elements are placed farther from the main controller 160, since the sensors or the switching elements are placed at fixed locations. Further, various kinds of harnesses, and/or multiple or long wires of the harness may cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) or the electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Thus, the conventional image formation device has various problems which cause an increase in raw material costs, an increase in the number of assembly processes, both of which complicates the assembly process.